zamba. 
zelys. 
baeotus. 
deucalion. 
japetus. 
aeclus. 
dirce. 
472 MEGISTANIS; GYNAECIA. By Dr. A. Serrz. 
at the end of the cell, the upper discocellular is short and recurved, the middle long and sinuous, the lower 
closing the cell obliquely; the submedian slightly thickened at the base. Early stages unknown; the butter- 
flies, in contrast to the preceding genus, rare and the genus much less widely distributed. 
P. zamba Dbl. & Hew. (104e). Above almost like Coea acheronta, beneath superficially recalling a 
Pyrameis, especially the underside of the hindwing, which shows a complicated grey-brown pattern. The 
yellow-red of the upper surface varies somewhat in extent, but is never so restricted as in zelys. From 
Colombia and Venezuela to Ecuador and Peru, apparently everywhere rare. 
P. zelys Bilr. & Dre. Very similar to the preceding and formerly regarded as a form of it, but 
probably a separate species. The hindwing is much more black, in the whole distal part, not only in the anal 
part, as in zamba; the yellow marginal spots are wanting. In addition the whitish costal spots are in zelys 
very much smaller or even only rudimentary. Costa Rica and Panama, especially on Mt. Chiriqui. 
26. Genus: Megistanis Ww. 
As the larva of these species is unknown the position of the genus remains uncertain. Of a Charaxes 
larva one need think so much the less that even Coea, which except for the points on the hindwing is decepti- 
vely like a Charaxzes, has been placed here by most systematists on the assumption that it has a spined larva. 
The butterflies are very powerfully built, the abdomen, as in Charazes, in the ¢ — and hardly any but gd 
are known — sometimes only hanging as a small appendage to the robust thorax; the cell of the hindwing 
open, the closing vein of that of the forewing extremely fine, scarcely perceptible. The hindwing bears 2 or 
3 pairs of points and its distal margin is dentate; the under surface very strikingly marked, but with a 
scheme of markings which brings the genus near to Smyrna, Gynaesia and Callizona, also very singularly 
marked beneath. We know 4 forms from the Amazon region; opinions still differ as to their relationships. 
M. baeotus Dbl. & Hew. (= rayi Voll.) (104d). 3g black with dull blue-green reflection and metallic 
blue median band, transverse spot of the same colour beyond the cell and row of bluish dots in the distal 
area. Very characteristic is the under surface, dull white with closely crowded row of small black spots and 
4 large ochreous spots proximally to and above the anal angle. Amazon region and Colombia. — deucalion 
Fldr. (104e), which was long regarded as the 2 of baeotus, is according to STAUDINGER certainly a good 
species; beneath quite similarly marked, but the ochreous spot of the forewing strigiform, and on the upper- 
side the median band is not blue but yellow, and on the forewing often somewhat shorter; flies likewise in the 
Amazon region and Colombia. As a matter of fact the 2 baeotus is also almost like deucalion, with yellow 
bands, but may be recognized by the crescentic (not band-like), more strongly blue-marked transverse spot 
beyond the cell of the forewing and by the absence of the light dots in the distal area (FRUHSTORFER). 
M. japetus Stgr. (104 e). Almost exactly like baeotus above, but distinguishable beneath by the smaller 
ochreous spots and the generally finer markings, and especially by having two lines in the cell of the hindwing 
instead of 4 thick dots as in baeotus. From the Upper Amazon, Peru. — Here belongs a lost species, passing 
as aeclus Ff. (= aeclus Cr., aile Hbn.), in which the band on the upper surface is wanting. If, as has been 
assumed, this was a damaged specimen in which the band had been obliterated by chemical influences, it 
would be best to cancel the name, since .,artificial products** — and we are probably dealing with such, as several 
specimens are said to have been altered in a similar way — should bear no names. If it should prove that 
it is a definitely recognizable and but little modified specimen, or even an actually occurring aberration, 
then aeclus F. should be regarded as name-type and japetus Stgr. as ,,subform. The species is rare. 
~ 27. Genus: Gynaeeia Dbl. 
The sole species of this genus is common, widely distributed and equally striking in wing-form and under 
surface. The most remarkable feature is the almost rectilinear, scarcely appreciably curved distal margin 
of the hindwing. The antenna is long, the eyes naked and large, the palpus thick, pointed, obliquely directed 
upwards, the body moderately strong, the legs, especially the middle tibiae, very long and thin. The larva is 
black, with branched horns on the head and yellow spines, the pupa is very peculiar, shaped and coloured like 
a splint of wood. The butterflies fly throughout the year, by preference in open country, and rest on tree- 
trunks. 
G. dirce Z. (97a). This butterfly may be at once recognized by the under surface. It is widely 
distributed in South America, extending from Honduras over the Antilles and the whole of warmer South 
America to Paraguay and South Brazil. It has an irregular, fluttering, but at the same time rapid flight, in 
which, curiously, 
